Shamanism as a path to healing

Interview with artist Sophia Shanti

1. Please tell us something about your background and your art journey so far.

I was born in the very north of the Germany very close to the Baltic Sea. My early childhood was filled with fantasy games, connecting to the unseen elements of nature by playing in the garden and forests around me, as well as following a natural lifestyle. Around the age of 10, I had the chance of immigrating to the United States with my mother and sister. My life there was a whole new chapter of challenging but also rewarding experiences. Thanks to taking this big leap with my family, I was also able to meet a lot of wonderful people who have touched my heart in great ways. Some of them were spiritual and indigenous individuals who had shaped my life. Looking back, I feel immensely grateful for being provided with the initiation into shamanism and spirituality.

'New Aeon' by Sophia Shanti

2. Can you tell us more about the theme in your art and your inspiration?

Most of my inspiration comes directly from my spiritual practice and initiations, as well as my own emotional inner landscape. Thanks to growing up internationally, I have had contact with meditation, mystical experiences, shamanism, as well as my own affinity towards exploring the psyche. When I was in my early twenties, my family hosted a workshop at our house, where I was able to meet a meditation teacher that taught me about the healing power of words (especially spoken in the form of mantras and prayers). Thanks to this introduction, I meditated quite a lot and was able to have an insight into deeper states of consciousness within myself. Later I traveled throughout Northern India, mostly on my own, and also had deep insights there. I think I wanted to oftentimes reflect those experiences in my paintings because they were so profound but difficult to explain in words.

Shamanism came to me at around the age of 10, when my parents took me to my first meeting with their shamanic teacher of Inkan tradition. From then on, the practice gradually colored my world more and more and became an integral part of who I am as a person. My art is not just an expression but also a form of channeling certain energies that I have encountered through shamanic journeying and teachings. Emotions also play a big role in my work. I think I want to usually have not just my own emotions come through in a painting but also be able to touch something in the viewer. I feel like there is no greater experience than to have a deep emotion about something and witness another person being able to share that, even just a fraction of it.

3. Could you share any difficulties and hardships you had to face in life and how or if you managed/overcame them?

When I came to the United States, I had to adjust to an entirely new environment, where my mother language had little use, and the situations that surrounded me were emotionally taxing. Through this experience, my own understanding of and connection to myself became more inward turned, and I grew accustomed to being somewhat of an outsider. I had to face myself and themes of loneliness, as well as being separated from the rest of my family back in Germany. I also grew up with rheumatoid arthritis and had to deal with my health in various ways. Having an illness forced me to become very aware of the sensations in my body, and it gave me no choice other than to listen to them. What also helped me along the way was various alternative healing modalities, as well as later on engaging in deep processes of Jungian dream and shadow work.

'Labyrinth' by Sophia Shanti

4. Tell us about your best experience in the art world so far.

After moving back to Germany in my 20s, I was fortunate enough to join an art collective in Berlin. I could exhibit some of my works and sell them, as well as have a couple of exhibitions during my time there. Tome, even the small successes are immensely valuable, as well as feeling like I could be a part of the community. I loved having my art market stand when the collective had music events. Something about being in direct contact with people, the liveliness, and the joys of sharing my work really was a wonderful mix for me.

5. What practical advice can you give to fellow artists?

The only advice I have to any artists is not to paint for others, or not to even think about making your art “look good,” but to solely paint the things that are inside of you. Choose the things you like, that really move you, and go with that. Everything else is just unnecessary pressure that you put on yourself. If you want to grow as an artist, it is inevitable that you also will have to grow as a person. That means doing the inner work is crucial not just to come to a place of understanding who you are, but also understanding the limitations that a certain idea of self can have on your work. Lastly, finding a way to welcome change, inner and outer, has also led me to my greatest moments of expression.

6. Is the artist life lonely? Please share your thoughts and experiences.

It can be. I think I'm generally a more introverted person, so I don't experience loneliness as something terribly unwanted, although I do have my moments where I find it harder to connect back into a social setting after spending time on my own. So to say, the loneliness only comes when I am in a crowd of people (as cliché as it sounds) or when I am unable to communicate what is inside of me. I think that is also why art is such a wonderful tool for sensitive-souled people. Where words fail us, we can utilize colors and shapes to bring at least something to the surface. It is like diving into the unconscious and collecting treasures, which are then brought back up to the surface and made visible through creating something physical.

'The Little Mermaid' by Sophia Shanti

7. What are you working on at the moment and are there any upcoming events you would like to talk about?

I am opening up my practice as a shamanic practitioner and somatic bodyworker, and have been accepting clients and requests for healing, as well as offering a three-month creativity mentorship. In this way, I can share more of myself with my community, as well as help others follow their path back to the creative source. In our modern world, it is so easy to forget about ourselves and always put others or the material world first, while our soul seems to be starving for real nourishment. I'm hoping to change that with genuine compassion and intuition.

Right now, my whole intention is to share the gifts that I have been harnessing with the world around me. Trauma no longer is an isolated theme these days, but instead one that affects most of us in some way. I've found that there is not a one-for-all-cure for a person, but being able to reach some aspect of them on a soul level, in order to bring back guidance, is something that has continuously provided results for myself and those I have worked with. I used to be more focused on creating and almost forgot to open up to others about my work. Now I feel like it is my duty to give back to those around me in a holistic and authentic way.

Website: https://www.sophiashanti.com/

Art portfolio: https://sadalbari.crevado.com

Social media: @welt.entraum